In the News
In its coverage of Jewish organizations’ responses to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, JNS highlighted B’nai B’rith International’s solidarity with Ukraine, humanitarian aid to Ukrainian Jewish communities and others, and our call for the U.S. and Europe to reduce dependence on Russian energy.
(March 2, 2022 / JNS) Jewish groups and leaders adhered to partisan lines in their responses to President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, a speech that mainly focused on domestic policy but began with a rebuke of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Jewish community’s praise for the president’s agenda included the administration’s support for more funding for police, commitment of additional resources to secure the southern border, efforts to fix the immigration system, reduction of dependence on China through manufacturing in the U.S., and plan to tackle inflation.
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B’nai B’rith International said that Biden’s speech hit on many of the issues the organization works on, and that it will continue monitoring and advising the administration to make sure the goals set out by the president are accomplished. B’nai B’rith also affirmed Biden’s solidarity with Ukraine, noting that the organization and its affiliates in Europe are providing humanitarian aid to Jewish communities in that country.
“This conflict has put into sharp focus the danger of global reliance on Russian gas and oil exports. Energy independence is vital to ensure the United States and its allies do not rely on oil from countries whose interests are not aligned with our own. We must continue to work with our allies to diversify Europe’s energy supply and reduce dependence on Russian energy,” B’nai B’rith said in a statement.
Over the course of the Biden administration so far, the U.S. has increased its imports of crude and refined oil from Russia.
On the domestic front, B’nai B’rith thanked the president for calling for the need for Medicare drug prices to be reduced, and urged the White House and Congress to support legislation that provides more relief to seniors, especially for affordable housing and hearing aids.
Biden vowed to crack down on gun trafficking and ghost guns — guns that could be bought online and made at home with no serial number or way of tracking — and to pass laws creating a universal background check on gun purchases and allowing gun manufacturers to be held liable for crimes committed using their weapons.
He also called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
“Do you think the deer are wearing Kevlar vests?” Biden ad-libbed during the speech.
B’nai B’rith stated, “Sensible gun reform measures are urgently needed to address the disturbing rise in gun violence and crime across our cities. We worry greatly about the rise in hate crimes against Jewish individuals and institutions and call for increased funding of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to protect Jewish communities and other vulnerable targets.”